4 Reasons Why You Should Stop Eating Tilapia

Eating fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids and protein promotes cardiovascular health, brain health and reduces inflammation. That’s why experts recommend eating fish at least two to three times per week. But is all fish the same? Hardly.

In order for fish to be healthy and a good source of essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, it needs to be caught in the wild, or at least farm-raised properly. Tilapia is neither.

1. Tilapia Promotes Inflammation

Most Tilapia is farm-raised and fed with GMO corn and soy pellets. Unlike fish caught in the wild that eat a variety of foods and contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, Tilapia, mostly because of its poor diet, contains far less omega-3 fatty acids than other fish, and more omega-6 fatty acids. This can actually worsen inflammation and lead to various health problems.

2. Tilapia Contains Antibiotics

Farm-raised Tilapia is found to contain high concentrations of antibiotics because they live in crowded spaces with thousands of other fish. Because of this, Tilapia is treated similarly to how farm-raised cattle is treated – along with a poor diet, farmers give them plenty of antibacterial drugs.

3. Farm-Raised Tilapia Can Increase Cancer Risk

Because farm-raised fish contain less omega-3 fatty acids and more omega-6 fatty acids, eating them often can actually increase your risk of developing cancer. Arachidonic acid, one of the omega-6 fatty acids found in farm-raised Tilapia, has been linked with increased cancer risk and Alzheimer’s disease. On top of this, farm-raised fish contain high amounts of dioxin, which is proven to contribute to cancer development and other health issues.

4. Tilapia Lacks Nutrients

Thanks to its corn and soy diet, farm-raised fish is more oily but it doesn’t contain the good fats. As mentioned, farm-raised fish contain far less omega-3 fatty acids than fish caught in the wild. So, if you’re looking to up your omega-3 intake (and you probably should), you should avoid most Tilapia.